


The Drugs

by Kyuubiluver342



Series: The Many Times Seto Kaiba Was In Debt To Joey Wheeler [28]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drug Use, Drugs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 04:33:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20076208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Direct Sequel to Not A Fairy Tale. Joey is gone and then the brothers found him. But are they too late?





	The Drugs

Joey was missing. And not the “I’ll be back in a few days” kind of missing either. He was missing missing and Seto was at his wit’s end. When Joey had rushed from the building that day, he thought the Mutt would sulk for a few days, then come back like nothing happened. That was not the case this time it seemed. He had already received calls from Yugi, Tristan and Mai, all wondering if he could help find the wayward duelist. It wasn’t until they got a call from Serenity that their fears were realized.

Yet, nothing they did had worked. He had sent many of his spies out, but no one had reported anything. His building manager had no idea where Joey had gone after he had left the apartments and Joey hadn’t shown up or called any of his jobs since that day.

“This isn’t like him.” Mokuba muttered.

Seto grit his teeth and grabbed his keys.

“Let’s go.” he demanded.

Mokuba ran after him, confused.

“Um go where?” Mokuba asked as they got in the elevator.

“Anywhere. I can’t sit here anymore.” Seto said.

They got to the garage and got in Seto’s car. They drove to the side of town Joey had lived in first. There, they started to ask around. Anyone they saw walking the streets, they stopped. Some ignored them, others tried to get money from them, but one girl watched them with interest. Finally, she sauntered over to the car, shooing away a streetwalker they had stopped.

“So wha’ brin’ two boys like you ou’ ta these parts?” she asked chewing on her gum.

She had a draw to her voice, clearly she wasn’t from Domino City. Seto showed her a picture and she paused mid chew.

“What’cha lookin’ for him for?” she asked curiously.

“Wait, you know Joey?” Mokuba asked leaning over.

“I do. We used ta run in the same gan’. So, what’d he do ta ya guys?” she asked.

“We’re looking for him. His sister is worried.” Mokuba said.

She paused, eyeing the picture before looking around.

“Look, you don’ wanna be askin’ about him around here. There are more than a few guys still upse’ with him.” she said.

“We need to find him.” Seto replied.

She snorted loudly.

“If he doesn’ wan’ ta be found, ya won’ find him. He knows these streets betta than anyone.” she straightened up.

“Jus’ go home. Ya won’ find him.” she turned and walked away.

Seto grit his teeth and Mokuba had to hold him back from getting out of the car. They drove around a while longer, but it was getting late and Mokuba was exhausted. How could they find Joey if they didn’t know where to look? They drove in silence, wondering what else they could do before Mokuba saw what seemed to be a homeless shelter.

“Do you think?” Mokuba and Seto looked at each other.

They parked a little down the street before walking in. The place was crowded, but the brothers kept to themselves. Everyone eyed them however, taking in their fancy clothes before they saw a flash of blond.

“Joey?” Mokuba called and a young man looked up.

He had a split lip and a bruise on his jaw, but it was Joey. He looked like he had been through hell.

“Moneybags? Mokuba? The hell you doing here?” he asked.

He seemed annoyed and tired, his skin was pale and his clothes ruined. They were little more than rags.

“We came to find you.” Seto replied.

Joey blinked and then blinked again.

“Oh...why?” Joey asked.

“Because you disappeared! Joey, is this where you’ve been all this time?” Mokuba asked looking around.

“Nah, only been here…” Joey trailed off frowning.

“Two days, kid.” the lady said next to him.

“Thanks, Maya.” he nodded and she nodded back.

Seto was sick of this game. He grabbed Joey and started dragging him out of the shelter. Then again, Joey didn’t exactly fight him. Seto wasn’t sure he could with how skinny he looked. Joey allowed himself to be dragged along, only grabbing a small bag that sat at the end of the bed. They walked outside and it was almost dark. Mokuba wanted to go home, but he was also worried. Joey was being scary quiet.

“We are going back home and you will tell me where the hell you have been.” Seto demanded.

Joey just rolled his eyes.

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” he replied.

Seto whirled on him, using his full height to tower over the other.

“This is not up for debate.” Seto hissed.

Joey’s eyes darkened and he leaned in.

“Fucking try me, asshole. I don’t have to tell you shit. You ain’t my dad, you ain’t my ma, so I don’t have to tell you shit.” Joey snapped back.

“Joey, please. We were worried about you.” Mokuba begged.

Joey grit his teeth and looked away.

“I didn’t ask either of you to worry about me! I didn’t ask either of you to come looking for me! I am fine on my own!” Joey yelled.

Seto leaned back and Mokuba could see him shutting down.

“Fine then. Mokuba, we are leaving.” Seto turned on his heel and walked away.

Mokuba stared at Seto’s back and then Joey. Joey rubbed his eyes, his shoulders slumped and Mokuba grit his teeth. Fine, they wanted to play that way? Mokuba grabbed Joey’s arm and started to drag him, making him yelp.

“Mokuba, let me go!” Joey snapped.

“NO!” Mokuba roared.

He glared at Joey and Joey blinked, confused. Mokuba turned to Seto and glared at him.

“Don’t fucking walk away, coward!” Mokuba yelled.

Seto turned, startled.

“Excuse me?” Seto demanded.

“I said, don’t fucking walk away! You two have been tiptoeing around this for years and I am not going to put up with it anymore!” Mokuba turned to Joey.

“You ran away like a fucking coward! You said something you couldn’t take back and you didn’t know how Seto would react, so you ran away, caused pain to everyone you love and now you want to hide! Well, guess what! I’m not going to let you! So suck it up!” Mokuba demanded.

Joey flushed and stopped fighting Mokuba. Mokuba nodded and turned to Seto.

“Now, are you going to admit your feelings for him too or what?” Mokuba snapped.

Seto’s face went red, but Joey looked at him with a little bit of hope in his eyes and Seto sighed. Mokuba gave him a dark look and Seto scowled.

“Fine! Fine, it’s true ok?” Seto replied.

“What’s true? You know, for someone who went through speech training, you aren’t being very clear. Say what you mean.” Mokuba demanded.

“I like Joey!” Seto snapped before pausing.

“You...do?” Joey asked.

It was timid, quiet, like Joey wasn’t sure he had heard right and Seto sighed.

“Yes, unfortunately.” Seto muttered.

Joey’s face fell a bit and Mokuba stormed to Seto’s side before kicking him in the knee.

“Will you fucking stop doing that! This is why he left in the first place!” Mokuba yelled.

“Stop kicking me!” Seto snapped, rubbing his knee.

“For once, use your brain!” Mokuba snarled.

A sudden chuckle made them stop and see Joey was laughing. His mouth was covered and he was trying to hold it back, but they could see the light in his eyes.

“You two never change, huh?” Joey said after a moment.

“Joey, please just come home with us. You don’t have to tell us anything, but your sister is worried sick.” Mokuba begged.

Joey sighed and nodded, following the brothers to their car. They drove in silence, Joey staring blankly out the back window until they came to the mansion.

“So what happened?” Mokuba asked.

Joey, having showered and been given clean clothes, picked nervously at the blanket across his shoulders before talking.

“I just...freaked out.” Joey muttered.

“Freaked out?” Seto replied.

Joey nodded.

“I was scared. Scared you would be mad, scared you would destroy our contact, scared I had ruined everything.” Joey shook his head.

“I’m not that petty, Mutt. Even if I didn’t appreciate it, I’m not stupid.” Seto stated.

Mokuba shot him a look and Seto sighed.

“Even still, that’s no reason to disappear like that.” Mokuba replied.

Joey rubbed the back of his neck.

“To be honest, I don’t really remember that part.” Joey said.

“You don’t remember?” Mokuba parroted, confused.

“Yeah, like I remember leaving the building, but after that, it’s...fuzzy.” Joey stated.

“Fuzzy as in you don’t remember anything at all?” Seto asked.

“Honestly, I don’t even remember going to that shelter.” Joye explained.

“Joey, you have been missing for close to a month and you remember none of it?” Mokuba asked nervously.

Joey just stared at them.

“There’s like bits and pieces, but I don’t remember like a full day or anything like that.” Joey said.

Seto and Mokuba stared at him.

“Joey, that’s really concerning. Like really, really concerning.” Mokuba stated.

“I know. I’ve been trying to put the pieces together, but every time I do…” Joey shook his head.

They could see his eyes clouding over and Seto got up when Joey trailed off.

“Mutt?” he called, shaking his shoulder a bit.

Joey did...nothing. He just sat there, slumped slightly like a toy thrown in the corner. Seto and Mokuba glanced at each other. 

“I’ll call a doctor.” Mokuba said quietly.

Seto and Mokuba watched as the doctor looked Joey over. He hummed and hawed, but didn’t really say anything to the brothers. As he put his tools away, Seto coughed.

“How is he?” Seto asked.

“Well, to be honest with you, Mr. Kaiba, I’m not sure. His reflexes are fine, if not a bit slow, but he seems to be on some sort of drug.” the doctor said, holding up Joey’s arm.

They could see small pinpricks on his skin and Seto grit his teeth. Drugs? Joey was on drugs? Since when?

“Do you happen to know what it is?” Mokuba asked.

“I would need to take him in and do some tests to give you a definite answer.” the doctor replied.

They didn’t want that. Then it would be on Joey’s medical record for anyone to find. It had been hard enough keeping Joey’s disappearance from the media. They didn’t need to add that he had disappeared to go on a drug binge.

“Thank you. We will keep an eye on him.” Seto dismissed him and they watched the doctor leave.

“What do we do?” Mokuba asked.

“I don’t know.” Seto admitted.

Joey didn’t move much for the rest of the night. They gave him some soup, which he did eat, but it seemed like to them he was off in his own little world. They put him to bed, but had a guard monitoring him in case anything went wrong. Now, they were just left with one issue.

“So do we call everyone and tell them he’s ok or…?” Mokuba asked.

Seto rubbed his eyes. They really should let everyone know, but with the way Joey was acting, Seto didn’t want to upset anyone. He could only imagine what Serenity would say when she found out.

“We should call at least Serenity.” Mokuba said.

That was the one person he wanted to call the least, but Mokuba was right. Seto dialed Serenity’s number, praying she wouldn’t answer. She answered on the first ring.

“Hello?” her voice came over the speaker.

“Serenity, it’s Seto. We found Joey.” he decided to get right to the point, make it easier on both of them.

They heard her let out a breath.

“You...You found him? Is he ok? Can I see him?” she shot off questions so fast they didn’t have time to answer one before she asked another.

“Yes, we did find him. He is fine, but I think it’s best we wait until tomorrow for you to see him.” Seto explained.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“He needs rest. He’s had a rough few days.” Mokuba said gently.

Understatement of the year, but they figured they would talk to her more in person. They talked a bit more before agreeing that Serenity could come to the mansion tomorrow to see him. After they hung up, Seto groaned.

“The Mutt always makes things more difficult.” he muttered angrily.

Mokuba just laughed.

Joey seemed fine the next morning. A little out of it and groggy, but fine. As he sat at the kitchen table, he blinked slowly at the brothers.

“Serenity is coming?” he asked.

“Yes, we told her to wait until today, but Roland told me she is already on her way.” Seto stated.

Really, he couldn’t blame her. He would be the exact same way. Joey stared at the table and sighed.

“I don’t know...I don’t want her to see me like this.” Joey replied.

It was now or never. They had to ask.

“Joey, why the drugs?” Seto asked.

For a moment, Joey looked at him, shocked and then looked down. He rubbed his arms, as if he were cold.

“My dad… he was big into drugs. I never really liked them. They made it too easy to lose control, but after I left, I just wanted to forget. I felt stupid.” Joey rubbed his eyes a little.

He seemed so vulnerable and they wondered if it was the remains of the drugs in his system or he was just tired. Mokuba sat by his side and rubbed his back.

“Joey, how did you-” Seto was cut off by a kick to his shin and he looked at Mokuba, who just shook his head.

Asking how he got the drugs and where was not a good idea. Even less was asking him how he paid for them. Joey slumped in the chair and stared at him arms.

“This must look really pathetic.” Joey chuckled without humor and Seto frowned.

“You were in a bad spot.” Seto replied.

He thought about all the nights he had stuffed pills in his face to help him sleep or help him stay awake. His sleep schedule had been fucked for years to the point that he had almost collapsed once at a conference. Mokuba had demanded he get checked out after that and while he still had trouble sleeping, he no longer relied on pills to help him.

That didn’t mean he didn’t remember those years on them. Walking through life in a drug induced haze. If it weren’t for Mokuba double checking him, he was sure Kaiba Corp would have suffered for it. Joey looked at Seto and there was a moment they understood each other better than anyone else.

“Serenity is going to have a cow.” Joey muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“We won’t say anything if you don’t want us to.” Mokuba said.

“Yeah, I would rather talk to her privately later.” Joey stated.

“Sir.” Roland came in just then, followed by Serenity.

When she saw Joey, she started to cry and they hugged, Joey rubbed her back as they stood there. Seto and Mokuba stepped out to give them some privacy.

“What do we do now?” Mokuba whispered.

“I don’t know. For now, we see what they want to do.” Seto replied.


End file.
